Temperature-indicator for incubators.



M. L. nousn. TEMPERATURE INDICATOR FOR INGUBATORS.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1913.

1 1 1 1,182, Patented Sept. 22, 1914,

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MARTIN L. ROU'SE, COLUMBIA, MISSOURI.

TEMPERATURE-INDICATOR FOR INGUBATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

Application filed September 22, 1913. Serial No. 791,193.

dicators for Incubators, of which the fol--.

lowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyindrawings.

This invention compre ends certain new and useful improvements intemperature indicators and has for its primary object to provide adevice of this character which may be readily installed in incubatorsand the like.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which Wlll be ofextremely simple construction and operation and 1nclude electriccircuits with a bell or other alarm to be operated, should thetemperature increase or decrease, above or below predetermined pressure.

A still further object is to provide an indicator of this characterwhich will give a signal upon either an increase or decrease in thetemperature within the incubator by completing a circuit upon expansionor contraction of members subject to changes in temperature.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character whichmay be readily thrown out of operation when heating the incubator to theproper degree of temperature or when the incubator is not in use or atany other time or times desired.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in thespecification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1is in part a diagrammatic View of the complete device. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the upper contact plate; and Fig. 3 is a similar view ofthe movable intermediate contact plate,

showing the same in dotted lines in inoperative position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,1, 2, and 3 designate respectlvely, the lower, intermediate and uppercontact plates. The lower and upper contact plates 1 and 3 are spacedapart at their inner ends by the insulating and spacing post 4, to theoutside ends of which said contact plates 1 and 3 are secured by screws5 or other suitable means, said spacing and insulating post beingsecured to the inner face of one wall of the incubator by the screw 6 orother suitable means. The lower and upper contact plates 1 and 3 arespaced apart outwardly of the post 4, by the spacng post 7 which has thescrews 8 threaded in its opposite ends and threaded through the contactplates 1 and 3, one of said screws being insulated from the contact latethrough which it passes, by the insu ating' collar 9 positioned throughsaid contact plate and around the screw 8.

The intermediate contact plate 2 has its inner end secured upon one endof the spacing and insulating post 10, by a screw 25 or other suitablemeans, while said post 10 is secured upon one face of the lower contactplate 1, by a screw 12 or other suitable means, thereby properlysupporting the intermediate contact plate 2 between the lower and upperplates 1 and 3.

Secured upon the lower contact plate 1,

is a binding post 13 to which is secured one end of a conducting wire14, leading to one pole of the battery 15, inclosed in a suitable casing16, while the other wire 17 connected with the battery 15, has one endconnected with the binding post 18, carried by the intermediate contactplate 2. A third binding post 19 is secured upon the upper contact plate3 and has one end of a wire 20 secured thereto, the opposite end of saidwire being connected with the wire 17. A bell 21 or other suitable alarmis placed in the path of the conducting wire 17, whereby a signal willbe given each and every time a circuit is completed through the battery15 and wires 14: and 17. I have also provided a switch in the path ofthe wire 14, as shown at 22.

Upon the forward or free end of the lower contact plate 1, I havesecured a pair of hollow disks 23 and 24, formed of thin metal andadapted to expand when heated.

It will be noted that the upper disk 24 is of a smaller diameter thanthe disk 23 and contact plate 3, the free extremity of Wl'llCl'l is.directed -downwardly, as shown at 3. It will also be understood that theintermediate contact plate 2 is considerably shorter than the lower andupper contact plates 1 and 3 and has its forward portion pivoted uponthe screw 25, thereby throwing the device out of operation when theincubator is not in use or when first heating said incubator. This isdesirable, for the reason that when the hollow disks 23 and 24 are cold,they will contract'to such extent that the edge of the upper disk 24will assume a position below the free end of the intermediate contactplate 2. When the temperature in the incubator is normal and the hollowdisks 23 and 24 expanded to the proper distance under the influence ofthe heat, the smaller upper disk 24 is about mid-way between the freeends of the intermediate contact plate 2 and the depended free end ofthe upper contact plate 3, thereby providing an open or broken circuit.Should the temperature increase, however, the disks 23 and 24 willcontinue to expand until the disk 24 touches the depending free end 3 ofthe upper contact plate 3, thereby completing the circuit through thewire 20 and Wire 17 to the battery 15 and back through the wire 14 tothe lower contact plate 1, upon which the disks 23and 24 are secured.Should the temperature in the incubator decrease or drop below. normal,the edge of the disk 24 will contact with the free end of theintermediate contact plate 2 and the circuit will then be closed throughthe wire 17 to the battery 15 and back through the wire 14 to the lowercontact plate 1. It will be seen that should either circuit becompleted, the bell 21 in the path of the wire 17 will be caused to ringand thereby give a signal.

I have indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 a casing 26 for the parts ofthe device positioned within the incubator, a portion of the frame ofwhich is also shown in dotted lines at 27.

From the foregoing it will be clearly ap parent that I have provided atemperature.

indicator for incubators and the like which will be of extremely simpleconstruction, positive in operation and highly efiicient in use.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will beunderstood that minor changes in the details of construction andarrangement of parts may be made Within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of the advantages of the same.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim is 1. A device of thecharacter described, including a pair of contact plates insulated fromeach other, a third contact plate intermediate of the first named platesand supported on and insulated from one of them, binding posts securedto the respective plates, one for each plate, a source of electricenergy, an electric connection between the intermediate plate and thesource of electric energy, one of the first named plates being alsoincluded in said connection, and an electric connection between the saidsource of energy and the other of the first named plates, andthermostatic devices in juxta-position to the three contact plates andoperable, upon a change in the temperature, to connect the first twonamed contact plates and one of the said first named plates with theintermediate plate, according to whether the variation is an increaseordecrease.

2. A device of the character described, including a lower contact late,an upper contact plate spaced there om, said contact plates beingconnected together at one end and-insulated one from the other, anintermediate contact plate interposed between the two first namedcontact plates and shorter than the same, the said intermediate contactplate being supported on the lower contact plate intermediate of theends of the latter and insulated therefrom,

binding posts connected to said contact plates, one for each plate, asource of electric energy, a lead extending from one pole thereof to thebinding post of the lower contact plate, a lead extending from the other'pole of said source of energy to the binding post on the intermediateplate, a shunt lead from the said last named lead to the binding post onthe upper plate, a

thermostat disposed in juxta-position to the relatively free ends of allof said contact plates and ada ted to connect the intermediate plate witthe first named plate upon a diminution of the temperature and toconnect the intermediate plate with the upper contact plate upon anincrease in the temperature.

3. A device of the character described, including a lower contact late,an upper contact plate spaced there om, an intermediate contact plateinterposed between the lower and upper contact plates and spaced fromboth of them, electric circuits in which the contact plates areincluded, a thermostatic device including a disk interposed betweenthe'extremities of the intermediate contact plate and upper contactplate and adapted to contact with the intermediate contact plate upon adiminution in the temperature to electrically connect said intermediatecontact plate with the lower contact plate and also arranged, upon anincrease in the temperature, to electrically connect the intermediatecontact plate with the upper contact plate, said intermediate contactplate being pivotally mounted to swing laterally, as and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

MARTIN L. ROUSE. Witnesses:

BEN M. ANDERSON, J. L, STEPHENS.

